10 things to look for at the 2026 US Open

With the 2026 US Open already underway, it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. Click here for the men's draw and click here for the women's draw. Ok, let's dive in!  

#1.  Can Aryna Sabalenka complete a three-peat? Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the number one player in the world in the women's draw, gunning for her third straight US Open title. A three-peat is not an easy feat at any grand slam. Especially one as grueling as the US Open. She's certainly the odds on favorite and should be feeling good about her chances. Especially since hard court is her best surface. 

#2. Can Carlos Alcaraz win his third US Open? Back from injury, number two seed Carlos Alcaraz is looking to win his third US Open and in the process defend his title. Given he was absent from the French Open and Wimbledon this year due to a wrist injury, it feels like it's been a while since we saw him compete. It's hard to know how well he'll be able to play in New York. Assuming he's feeling great, I don't see why we should pick against him. He won the Australian Open earlier this year and is the defending US Open champion. Hard court is his jam. On top of that, Jannik Sinner is not playing due to injury. 

#3. Can Elena Rybakina win her second hard court grand slam? Elena Rybakina comes in as the number two seed, having won the Australian Open earlier this year. She won Wimbledon back in 2022, so she's going for her third grand slam title overall and second on the hard courts. She came up short in Cincinnati in her most recent hard court tournament, losing to Iga Swiatek 4-1 via walkover in the quarterfinals, so it's hard to know how big of a worry that should be. Regardless, Rybakina absolutely should be seen as a serious contender given how things went for her at the Australian Open. 

#4. Can Felix Auger-Aliassime reach his first grand slam semifinal? Felix Auger-Aliassime comes in as the number three seed and yet he's never reached the semifinal of a grand slam. He has a chance to change that this year given he has a top four seed. On paper, he should be a semifinalist this year due to Sinner being out and Novak Djokovic getting eliminated in the first round, but every year he runs out of steam in the quarterfinals. Will this be the year he finally breaks through? It will be fun to find out. 

#5. Can Marta Kostyuk build on her French Open and Wimbledon success? Marta Kostyuk comes in as the No. 11 seed after reaching the semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon. She's had a fantastic summer and should look to build on that at the US Open. Last year, she reached the 4th round at the US Open, so she's shown she can compete at this event and now that she's been to back-to-back grand slam semifinals, she should be feeling confident. I'm excited to see what she does. 

#6.  Can Alexander Zverev take advantage of Jannik Sinner's absence? Alexander Zverev is the number one seed on the men's side as a result of Jannik Sinner being out. With Alcaraz potentially rusty due to missing the last two grand slams, and Djokovic losing in the first round, the stars really could be aligning for Zverev to win his first US Open and second grand slam (2026 French Open). The US Open historically has more withdrawals given how beaten up guys tend to be at this time of the season. If there's a guy who should be looking to pounce on this chance, it's definitely Zverev. 

#7. Can Naomi Osaka build on her strong Wimbledon? Naomi Osaka comes in as the No. 13 seed in the tournament, having reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon earlier this summer. Osaka certainly seems to be finding her groove again and she has won the US Open and Australian Open twice, making hard court her best surface. If she could make a deep run, that would be awesome for the sport. Especially given how much the New York crowd likes her. 

#8. Can Alex de Minaur reach his first grand slam semifinal?  Just like Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alex de Minaur keeps hitting a wall in the quarterfinals of a grand slam. As I've mentioned, with Djokovic eliminated and Sinner out due to injury, someone has to take advantage of the waters parting. Alex de Minaur is a guy who absolutely has a chance to be one of those guys. He's the No. 6 seed and has plenty of grand slam experience. He just has to go out and make the most of this opportunity. 

#9. Can Linda Noskova build on her Wimbledon title? Linda Noskova is the No. 6 seed and is coming off an amazing two weeks at Wimbledon in which she went the distance to win her first grand slam. Winning on grass and hard court are different animals and it's always tough to follow up your first grand slam with a second grand slam in the next slam. Especially when you factor in a surface change. Still, Noskova has to take a lot of confidence from what she did at Wimbledon. I look forward to seeing how she does in New York. 

#10. Can Taylor Fritz break through to win his grand slam? Taylor Fritz is the No. 9 seed and the top ranked American man. The New York crowd will certainly be cheering him on. He reached the final back in 2024, so he's shown an ability to find success at the US Open. The last American man to win a grand slam was Andy Roddick in 2003 at the US Open.  Fritz has a chance to break that spell. Especially with the way the draw has been shaking out. If he could go the distance, that would be awesome for American tennis. 

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10 takeaways from 2026 Wimbledon

               (Jannik Sinner & Linda Noskova with their championship trophies. Credit: Wimbledon.com) 

Alrighty, I'm long overdue to get my 10 takeaways from Wimbledon in, but here we go! 

#1. Jannik Sinner is figuring out the grass: Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev in the gentlemen's final 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4. Sinner has now won Wimbledon back-to-back times, showing that he has command of the grass. The clay of the French Open continues to be a work in progress for him, but he's at least showing he has what it takes to win on the grass. Even without Carlos Alcaraz, this was still an impressive run for Sinner.  It'll be fun to see how many more Wimbledon titles he racks up as his career goes on. 

#2. Linda Noskova is a grand slam champion: Linda Noskova defeated Karolina Muchova in the ladies' singles final 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. Noskova really came out of left field in this one as the furthest she'd gone at a grand slam going into Wimbledon was the quarterfinals at the 2024 Australian Open. A big thing to look for is whether or not Noskova is a one-hit wonder or if she has more grand slam titles in her future. At just 21 years of age, I lean towards her winning more before her career ends. She's got plenty of tennis in front of her. 

#3. Alexander Zverev has a career best at Wimbledon: While he came up short in the final, it was still the best Wimbledon performance of Alexander Zverev's career. He's had a great season, winning the French Open to win his first career grand slam. With the way he's trending, perhaps a Wimbledon title is also in Zverev's future. 

#4. Karolina Muchova has a career best at Wimbledon: While she came up short in the final, Karolina Muchova can hold her head high knowing she had the best run of her Wimbledon career. And it was the best run of her Wimbledon career by far. She reached the quarterfinals in 2019 and 2021 before having four straight first round exits. She really took her game up a notch on the grass this year. Whether or not this year was an aberration or a sign that she's figured things out on the grass, next year will tell us a lot. 

#5. Arthur Fery had a run for the ages: Arthur Fery had a run for the ages, reaching the semifinals before losing to Alexander Zverev 6-7, 2-6, 4-6. Fery also played for Stanford and on CardinalSportsReport.com, I wrote more about his run. Click here to check that out. It really was an amazing run for him. He came in as a wild card and now doesn't have to worry about qualifying for grand slams for a full calendar year. It'll be interesting to see how he does in his next four grand slam appearances, which includes, Wimbledon 2027. 

#6. Coco Gauff has her best Wimbledon performance: Coco Gauff reached the semifinals, losing to Karolina Muchova 6-2, 1-6, 7-6. Gauff had been to the 4th round three times at Wimbledon (2019, 2021, & 2024), but that was as far as she could go. This year, she made tremendous progress, getting to the semifinals. What is interesting is 2019 was her first ever Wimbledon. The fact that it's taken her so long to get past the 4th round is super interesting. But regardless, she should be feeling good about how this year went as she eyes an eventual Wimbledon title in the future. 

#7. Novak Djokovic still has juice: Novak Djokovic fell to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals 4-6, 4-6, 4-6. While he's no longer the grand slam contender he once was, reaching the semifinals is nothing to sneeze at. As I've written earlier, Djokovic can still play at a high level. The only question is how long does he want to play at a level where he hangs around but comes up a bit short. Only he can answer that question.

#8. Naomi Osaka had a bounce back tournament: Naomi Osaka reached the quarterfinals, losing to Karolina Muchova 6-7, 4-6, putting up a good fight in that match. It was the best performance she's ever had at Wimbledon. It was fun to see her back in the mix at a grand slam. Especially on a surface that hasn't been her strong suit. She seems to be finding a good balance between being a mom and still playing at a high level, which is exciting for the tennis world. 

#9. Jan-Lennard Struff has break through tournament: Jan-Lennard Struff reached the first quarterfinal of his grand slam career, losing to Jannik Sinner 5-7, 6-7, 3-6. At 36 years of age, it's super impressive that Struff had this run to the quarterfinals. He's been to the 4th round at the US Open and French Open before, but at Wimbledon he had never gotten past the 3rd round. On top of reaching the quarterfinals, he also battled Sinner tough in the loss. Struff should be very pleased with how his Wimbledon went. 

#10. Marta Kostyuk is finding her groove: Marta Kostyuk reached the semifinals of Wimbledon right after reaching the semifinals of the French Open. That's back-to-back grand slam semifinal runs. That has to give her a real boost of confidence. It was Linda Noskova, the eventual champion, that defeated her 6-4, 6-4. Kostyuk finds herself just outside the top 10, ranked No. 11 in the world. At just 24 years of age, she's really stepping into her own and finding her groove, which is great to see. 

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10 takeaways from the 2026 French Open

 

                                                (Credit: SportJustSport.com)

At the French Open this year, Mirra Andreeva and Alexander Zverev (pictured above) both won their first career grand slam titles. Below are my ten takeaways from the two weeks that were at Roland Garros this year. Ok, let's dive in! 

#1. Alexander Zverev finally gets over the hump:  Alexander Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli in the men's singles final 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 to win his first career grand slam title. There had been many questions about whether or not Zverev had what it took to win a grand slam title as he is now 29 years of age. This tournament put those questions to rest. Zverev had a fantastic tournament and didn't fold under pressure in the final. Whether or not he wins more grand slams, he'll forever be a 2026 French Open champion. That in and of itself is a huge deal.  

#2. Mirra Andreeva wins her first grand slam as a teenager: In this modern era of tennis, it's rare to see teenagers win grand slams and yet that's exactly what Mirra Andreeva did when she defeated Maja Chwalinska in the women's singles final 6-3, 6-2. At just 19 years of age, Andreeva proved herself to be the best in the entire tournament, only dropping one set all tournament long. It'll be fun to see what the future has in store for Andreeva. I have a feeling this won't be the last time we see her win a grand slam. 

#3. Flavio Cobolli is dangerous on clay: By reaching the final, Flavio Cobolli showed that he is a threat on the clay. He hasn't gotten past the 3rd round at the Australian Open or US Open, so he's got some work to do on the hard court. Grass he's a bit better with back-to-back trips to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, but clay is clearly his best surface. At just 24 years of age, there's no reason to think Cobolli can't one day go all the way at Roland Garros. 

#4. Maja Chwalinska came out of nowhere to reach the final: Maja Chwalinska came out of nowhere to reach the women's singles final. She really did. She's never gotten past the 1st round at the Australian Open and hasn't gotten past the 2nd round at Wimbledon. As for the US Open, this will be the first year she enters the main draw as she got ranked No. 21 after reaching the French Open final. One big run in a grand slam virtually guarantees entrance into the other slams for a full calendar year. Whether or not this was a one off or if she's the real deal remains to be seen, but given she's only 24 years old, odds are good this won't be the last we see of her. 

#5. Jakub Mensik had a breakthrough tournament:  Jakub Mensik reached his first career grand slam semifinal, losing to Alexander Zverev 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 3-6. The 20 year old from the Czech Republic had been coming on strong, getting ranked as high as No. 12 in the world in March. It really does seem like this is just the beginning for Mensik. His 4th round 6-3, 7-6, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3 win over No. 11 Andrey Rublev was super impressive. Mensik should really take a lot of confidence from what he was able to do in Paris. 

#6. Aryna Sabalenka still has work to do on the clay: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka fell in the quarterfinals to Diana Shnaider 6-3, 5-7, 0-6. While she is without a doubt the best hardcourt player in the world, clay remains a work in progress for Sabalenka. She did reach the French Open final in 2025, so she's getting close to breaking through on the dirt, but this year was a reminder that she still has a lot more work to do. 

#7. João Fonseca has a breakthrough tournament, too: 19 year old João Fonseca from Brazil made his first career grand slam quarterfinal, losing to Jakub Mensik 4-6, 3-6, 6-7. While Mensik had a breakthrough tournament of his one, so did Fonseca. There's been a lot of hype surrounding his game. Brad Gilbert has been telling us to keep an eye out for him. This was the first tournament where at a grand slam level, we got to see why. His 4th round 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 win over No. 15 Casper Ruud really sent a message. Definitely more to come from this guy. 

#8. Marta Kostyuk is a budding force: Marta Kostyuk, currently ranked No. 11 in the world, reached her first career grand slam semifinal at the French Open this year. The 24 year old Ukrainian is someone who very well might win a grand slam at the rate she's playing at. At the same time, losing to Andreeva in straight sets was a reminder that she still is in need of more improvement. It'll be fun to see how she does in the future. 

#9. Matteo Arnaldi had a breakthrough run: While he ended up having to withdraw from his semifinal match against Cobolli, Matteo Arnaldi still had a fantastic tournament, reaching his first career grand slam semifinal. He's currently ranked No. 35 in the world as a result and truly had the tournament of a lifetime. At 25 years of age, this could be the beginning of something special for him. We'll just have to see what the future holds. But, he should be taking a lot of confidence from the tournament he had in Paris. 

#10. Diana Shnaider had a breakthrough run of her own: 22 year old Diana Shnaider reached her first career grand slam semifinal at the French Open this year. Given how young she is, this was a great tournament for her. She also battled Chwalinska tough in the semifinal, losing 6-7, 4-6, so she could have easily reached the final. It'll be fun to see what she does at Roland Garros next year and also what she does the rest of the season. 

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Thoughts from Week 1 at 2026 Wimbledon

                                  (Naomi Osaka is into the 4th round. Credit: Brian Inganga/AP Photo) 

This past week was a busy and eventful one at Wimbledon with lots going on across the gentlemen’s and ladies’ singles evens. Below are some thoughts I have about some of the action that has transpired. Over at CardinalSportsReport.com, where I cover Stanford for On3 Rivals, I did a piece on Stanford alum Arthur Fery, who is the last Brit standing. Click here to check that out. Ok, let’s dive in! 

The first thing that has popped out at me is No. 14 Naomi Osaka knocking off No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6 in the 4^th round to reach the quarterfinals. Osaka reached a career-best 4^th round at the French Open earlier this year and now her run to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon is a career-best for her as well. It’s taken Osaka a bit of time to get back to form, but she’s finally getting back to the level of tennis we all know she can play at. It’s been pretty exciting to watch.  

Secondly, No. 1 Jannik Sinner is finding his groove after a 1^st round scare against Miomir Kecmanovic in which he narrowly won 4-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3. Since that match, Sinner hasn’t dropped a set as he now marches into the quarterfinals. That can happen sometimes at Wimbledon. Those early matches can be tricky due to the new grass and all. Now that the grass is wearing down and he’s finding his footing (both literally and figuratively), Sinner is going to be really tough to stop this coming week.  

Third, No. 7 Coco Gauff reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the first time of her career is a big deal. She has reached the 4^th round at Wimbledon three times before in 2019, 2021, and 2024. She has historically hit a wall in the 4^th round, but this year she broke through by defeating No. 11 Belinda Bencic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. It’s all uncharted territory at this point for Gauff. I get the sense she’s one who the crowd would love to see go the distance. That support should certainly help her. 

Finally, the quarterfinal match between No. 3 Felix Auger-Aliassime and No. 7 Novak Djokovic should be interesting. Auger-Aliassime didn’t drop a set in his first three matches before getting taken to a 5^th set against No. 2 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the 4^th round, winning 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1. As for Djokovic, he hasn’t been taken to a 5^th set in this tournament, but in three of his four match wins, he dropped a set. The only straight set victory he’s had is his 2^nd round 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Stefanos Tsitsipas. Auger-Aliassime I think has the slight edge here, but he’s never gotten past the quarterfinals at Wimbledon before while Djokovic is a seven time Wimbledon champion. I’m very curious to see how this one goes. 

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10 things to look for at the 2026 French Open

 With the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros about to begin in Paris, it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. Click here to check out the draws. Ok, let's dive in! 

#1. Will anyone challenge Jannik Sinner? Jannik Sinner comes in as the number one ranked player in the world and with Carlos Alcaraz out with a wrist injury (he'll miss Wimbledon as well), it's fair to wonder if anyone will really challenge Sinner. Sinner and Alcaraz are clearly the top two players in the world and so if one of them goes down, the other is going to be the heavy favorite. It'll be interesting to see who gives Sinner the biggest challenge in this year's event. There's certainly an opportunity for a lot of guys, but the question is, will anyone capitalize? 

#2. Can Elina Svitolina build on her title in Rome? At the Italian Open on the women's side, world No. 7 Elina Svitolina defeated No. 4 Coco Gauff in the final 6-4, 6-7, 6-2. Svitolina is coming into Roland Garros with a lot of momentum, but she's never won a grand slam before and the furthest she's gone at Roland Garros is the quarterfinals. She's reached the quarterfinals five times, so she's comfortable getting to that point, but reaching the semifinals is another story. It would be cool if Svitolina could at least make the semis. If she can do that, who knows? Maybe this will be there year she finally breaks through to win a slam. 

 #3. Can Casper Ruud build on his run to the final in Rome? One guy to keep an eye on is Casper Ruud, who is coming in ranked No. 16 in the world and the 15 seed. He made a run to the final at the Italian Open in Rome and fell to Sinner in straights sets 4-6, 4-6. Even though he lost, those were close sets. I look forward to seeing how much confidence Ruud takes from his performance in Rome. 

#4. Can Aryna Sabalenka win a French Open title? Coming in ranked No. 1 in the world on the women's side, Aryna Sabalenka is still eying her first French Open title. She got close last year, losing to Coco Gauff in the final 7-6, 2-6, 4-6. I feel like at some point, Sabalenka will break through to win at Roland Garros, but she still has to go out and do it. 

#5. Can Alexander Zverev make the most of this opportunity? If there was ever a time for Alexander Zverev to win a grand slam, this would be it. With Alcaraz out, Zverev is the number two seed in the tournament and he's done well on clay, reaching the final at Roland Garros in 2024. Zverev has to feel like he has a great opportunity in front of him, but time and time again, he finds a way to disappoint. Perhaps this year will be different. If he wants to finally break through and go all the way, odds are good he'll be facing Sinner in the final and there's also a good chance he'll have to defeat Novak Djokovic as well. All of this is to say even with Alcaraz out, Zverev still has his work cut out for him. 

#6. Can Coco Gauff defend her title? Coco Gauff is ranked No. 4 in the world and as I posted earlier, she won the French Open last year, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Being the defending champion puts more of a target on your back and more pressure. If Gauff is able to defend her crown, that will speak volumes about what kind of player she's become. We already know she's really good given she's won the French Open and US Open (2023), but if she actually wins a grand slam back-to-back years? That's the stuff legends of the game are known for having done.  

#7. Can Novak Djokovic go all the way? Given he's on the same half of the draw as Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic has to feel like he could get back to the final at Roland Garros. He's the number three seed and the number four ranked player in the world. If Djokovic is able to upset Zverev and reach the final, that would certainly make for an entertaining final assuming Sinner is waiting on the other side.

#8. Can Elena Rybakina win her second grand slam of the year? Elena Rybakina comes in ranked No. 2 in the world and as the defending Australian Open champion.  Hard court and clay are different surfaces, yes. But even so, Rybakina is still coming with a good deal of confidence having won the first grand slam of the year. The furthest Rybakina has gone at Roland Garros is the quarterfinals in 2021 and 2024, she did win Wimbledon back in 2022, so she's shown an ability to win a grand slam away from the hard courts. If she can somehow go the distance this year, all she'll need is the US Open to complete the career slam. 

#9. Can Ben Shelton or Felix Auger-Aliassime reach the quarterfinals?  Ben Shelton comes in as the No. 5 player in the world while Felix Auger-Aliassime comes in ranked No. 6. Both guys have reached the 4th round at Roland Garros before, but neither has been able to go beyond that point. On paper, they should reach the quarterfinals, but clay is always harder for some guys and it's the least predictable surface. If these guys aren't able to reach the quarterfinals, we could be looking at a very interesting quarterfinal draw. 

 #10. Can Iga Swiatek win a fifth Roland Garros? No. 3 Iga Swiatek is gunning for her fifth Roland Garros title after winning in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Make no mistake, the French Open is Iga Swiatek's best grand slam. She is yet to win the Australian Open and she hasn't won Wimbledon or the US Open more than once. Given her success on the clay, it would be foolish to rule out Swiatek. 

Prediction:  On the men's side, I have to go with Jannik Sinner. He's been the best in the world and with Carlos Alcaraz sidelined, it's really hard seeing anyone beat Sinner. Maybe I'll be proven wrong, but I have to roll with Sinner. As for the women's side, give me Iga Swiatek. She's won this event four times and I don't think she's done winning at Roland Garros. Even though she's No. 3 in the draw, she should be the No. 1 among all the favorites. 

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10 things to look for at Indian Wells

 

                                             (Credit: Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun) 

With the BNP Paribas Open (a.k.a. Indian Wells Open) already underway in Palm Springs, California, I thought I would share 10 things to look for in what many people dub the "Fifth Grand Slam." This is an ATP & WTA 1000 event.  Click here to check out the draws. Ok, let's get after it! 

#1. Can Jannik Sinner win his first Indian Wells title? Jannik Sinner is still in search of his first title at Indian Wells. After reaching the semifinals in 2023 and 2024, he did not play the event in 2025. This time, he comes in as the No. 2 ranked player in the world with No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz on the opposite side of the draw. At some point, Sinner is bound to win an Indian Wells title. The only question is when. After not reaching the Australian Open final, he should feel a bit of extra motivation coming into this event. Perhaps that extra fuel will make the difference. 

#2. Can Aryna Sabalenka win her first Indian Wells title? World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is also in search of her first Indian Wells title. She's a two-time finalist, but so far has not been able to get over the hump in the final. Also like Sinner, she should be coming in with an extra chip on her shoulder after not winning the Australian Open. A title at Indian Wells would be a nice message for Sabalenka to send to the rest of the WTA Tour that she's still the top hard court player in the world. 

#3. How deep of a run can Daniil Medvedev make? Coming in as the No. 11 ranked player in the world, Daniil Medvedev has never won Indian Wells before and his lone grand slam title at the 2021 US Open with each passing year is further and further in the rear view mirror. At 30 years of age, on paper he's a guy that should still be in the mix to win grand slams and big time tournaments. If he could make a deep run at Indian Wells to the semis or final, that would be massive for him. Heck, even a run to the quarterfinals would be nice for him. If you want to talk about a dark horse on the men's side for this tournament, I think Medvedev is your guy. 

#4. Can Coco Gauff win her first Indian Wells title? In case you aren't already catching onto my theme here, world No. 4 Coco Gauff is another player in search of her first Indian Wells title. She reached the semifinals back in 2024, but that is the furthest she has gone.  It'll be fun to see how deep she goes and whether or not she can go the distance. If she does, that would be a huge boon for her heading into the spring. 

#5. Can Jack Draper defend his title? The defending champion on the men's side is world No. 15 Jack Draper, who defeated Holger Rune in the final 6-2, 6-2.  While the odds are stacked against him given the depth of the field, Draper should have some confidence given what happened last year. World No. 3 Novak Djokovic is projected to be waiting for him in the Round of 16. If Draper could somehow upset Djokovic, anything could happen going forward. 

#6. Can Mirra Andreeva defend her title? On the women's side, world No. 8 Mirra Andreeva is the defending champion, defeating Sabalenka in the final 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. Andreeva was 17 years old at the time and became the youngest champion at the event since 1999. Given she defeated Sabalenka in the final last year, she should be feeling confident going into this year's tournament. It'll be fun to see what kind of tennis Andreeva plays and how much she threatens do defend her crown. 

#7. Can Novak Djokovic break Roger Federer's record? On the men's side, world No. 3 Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer each have a record five titles at Indian Wells. If Djokovic could win a sixth, he'd be all alone in first place. Given how important of a tournament Indian Wells is, holding the record would mean a lot to Djokovic. As for when he won his five titles, Djokovic won in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2016. So, it's been a full decade since he won his last one. If Djokovic is able to get his sixth Indian Wells title 10 years later, what a headline that would be! 

#8. Can Elena Rybakina build on her Australian Open title to win at Indian Wells again? World No. 3 Elena Rybakina is coming in with some momentum having won the Australian Open earlier this year.  She also won Indian Wells back in 2023, defeating Sabalenka in the final 7-6, 6-4. She's won this tournament before and did so beating the best of the best. If Rybakina can find a way to win Indian Wells this year, she'll really be heading into the spring with a spring in her step. Pun intended! 

#9. Can Carlos Alcaraz build on his Australian Open title to win at Indian Wells? World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz won the Australian Open this year and also has two Indian Wells titles under his belt in 2023 and 2024. He should be feeling confident in his abilities to go the distance this year. What helps him out a bit is having Djokovic/Draper/Sinner on the other half the draw. The perks of being the top seed! In the Round of 16, Alcaraz should he advance would likely face No. 13 Casper Ruud, who he has a 5-1 record against.  Honestly, it will be a surprise if Alcaraz doesn't at least make the final. The draw really is pretty nice for him. 

#10. Can Iga Swiatek win a third Indian Wells title? World No. 2 Iga Swiatek is gunning for a third Indian Wells title.  She won it back in 2022 and 2024. Given her lone hard court grand slam title is at the 2022 US Open, it actually would be good for Swiatek to win this title if she has hopes of winning the US Open this year. Winning on hard court is still something she needs to get more comfortable doing, especially at the grand slam level. I'll be interested to see how she does in this event. 

Prediction: On the men's side, I'll roll with Novak Djokovic to come out on top. I think in three set matches, his stamina can hold up better and he'll have that extra motivation of surpassing Federer to win his sixth Indian Wells title. As for the women's side, I'll roll with Elena Rybakina. She just won the Australian Open and has won this event before. I think picking her to win the women's title is sound. 

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10 things to take away from the 2026 Australian Open

 

                                             (Credit: Getty Images) 

With the 2026 Australian Open now in the rear view mirror, it is time for me to write my 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were Down Under. Ok, let's dive in! 

#1. Carlos Alcaraz proved he can win the career grand slam: Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in the men's singles final 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 to win his seventh grand slam title and first Australian Open title. As a result, Alcaraz has now won a career grand slam. Pretty impressive given he's 22 years old (turning 23 in May). Winning a career grand slam is an important box to check off if you want to enter the conversation for being one of the all-time greats. While we all knew it was just a matter of time before Alcaraz checked off this box, doing it now takes some pressure off of him. It'll be interesting to see how many Australian Open titles he wins in the future. 

#2. Elena Rybakina wins a second grand slam: Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the women's singles final. It's the second grand slam title of Rybakina's career after winning Wimbledon in 2022. Being a multi-grand slam champion is far different than winning one. It shows consistency. Especially when you do it on multiple surfaces. At just 26 years of age, Rybakina is halfway to a career grand slam. The furthest she's gone at the French Open is the quarterfinals and the furthest she's gone at the US Open is the 4th round. While it's far from a guarantee that she'll win a career slam, being halfway there is a lot better than 25% of the way there. 

#3. Novak Djokovic can still play at an elite level: At 38 years of age, the fact that Novak Djokovic is still able to reach grand slam finals is amazing. The Australian Open is his best event, which he has won 10 times. He defeated Jannik Sinner in the semifinals  3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. That shows he's still able to play at an elite grand slam level. The question is how much longer does Djokovic want to do this? I'm sure he wants to win 25 grand slams just to surpass Margaret Court's mark, but given she played in a vastly different era and took advantage of not everybody coming out to play the Australian Open, he shouldn't beat himself over the head if he doesn't surpass her mark. 

#4. Aryna Sabalenka shows she is beatable on the hard court: While she is widely considered the top hard court player in the world, Aryna Sabalenka losing in the final shows that she can be beaten on the hard courts. She also is still in search of that career slam with the French Open and Wimbledon still on her list to win. Sabalenka had a fantastic tournament overall, but until she figures out how to win grand slams on the grass and clay, she needs to win as many hard court slams as possible. It'll be interesting to see if she can have a break through on grass or clay this year and whether or not she's able to get back on top at the US Open.  

#5. Alexander Zverev just can't quite break through: Alexander Zverev fell to Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals in a five set thriller: 4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 5-7.  Despite being a reliably top five player in the world, Zverev still is yet to crack the code to winning a grand slam. He's becoming a more successful Tim Henman/David Ferrer. A guy that gets close, but doesn't quite get over the hump. This year's Australian Open unfortunately reinforced that narrative in a painful way. 

#6. Jessica Pegula is knocking on the door: At 32 years of age, Jessica Pegula reached the semifinals before losing to Rybakina in straight sets  3-6, 6-7. It's the furthest she's gone at the Australian Open and only the US Open has she reached the final (2024). Ranked No. 5 in the world, maybe this will be the year Pegula finally wins her first grand slam. This year's Australian Open could be the springboard she needs to make that happen. 

#7. Alexander Bublik built on his Hong Kong title: After winning the title at the Hong Kong Open, world No. 10 Alexander Bublik reached the 4th round, where he lost to No. 6 Alex de Minaur in straight sets 4-6, 1-6, 1-6. It was the best performance Bublik has had at the Australian Open and ties for the best performance he's had at a grand slam (2023 Wimbledon & 2025 US Open). The big question with Bublik is can he breakthrough to reach the quarterfinals at a grand slam? So far, that answer has been no, but it was still overall a good tournament for him. 

#8. Elina Svitolina gets back to a grand slam semifinal: For the first time since 2023 Wimbledon, Elina Svitolina reached the semifinals of a grand slam, losing to Sabalenka in straight sets 2-6, 3-6. It was a great tournament for her as she cracked the top ten in the world as a result. She's now ranked No. 9. While it feels unlikely she'll ever win a grand slam, maybe this is the year she'll break through. Having a strong result at the Australian Open is always a great way to start the year. 

#9.  Jannik Sinner showed he can be beaten: Ranked No. 2 in the world, losing to Novak Djokovic showed that Jannik Sinner can be beaten by someone other than Alcaraz and that should give the rest of the tour some hope. At the same time, he lost to a man who is arguably the greatest of all-time. Still, Sinner not reaching the final was a reminder that he is human. Especially since the hard court is his best surface. 

#10. Naomi Osaka still has work to do: Ranked No. 16 in the world, Naomi Osaka is working her way back to being a top player. She lost in the 3rd round via walkover after winning her first two matches. At 28 years of age, there's still plenty of time for Osaka to get back in the mix to contend for more grand slams, but at the same time, this year's Australian Open was a reminder that she still has a lot more work to do. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of the season goes for her. 

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